Category: Athletics

Young Hired as New ECC Softball Coach

August 16, 2024 | Athletics Campus News

A local coach with a state championship to his name is new head coach of the East Central College Falcons Softball team. Grant Young will be replacing Brad Wallach, who led the ECC Softball program for 15 seasons.

Portrait of new ECC Softball Coach, Grant Young — **Coach Grant Young**

Young has served as the head softball coach at Washington High School for the past two years, a role he will continue while coaching the ECC Softball Falcons. This past season, the Blue Jays finished with a remarkable 37-1-1 record, capturing the Missouri Class 4 state title without a single loss to a Missouri school.

The team was ranked third in the nation in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll and was recognized as the top program in Missouri by MaxPreps.com.

Young, a 1996 graduate of Union High School, holds a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Missouri State University (2000) and an M.S. in Athletic Administration from William Woods University (2007). He and his wife, Julia, have two sons, Kaner and Ryker. Kaner will be attending ECC and playing baseball this year.

Coaching Career

In his three years as a head softball coach, including a year at Neosho High School in Missouri, Young’s teams have achieved an impressive 89-15-1 record. Over the past eight years with the Blue Jay program, serving as both varsity assistant and head coach, his teams have won six Gateway Athletic Conference titles, five district titles, four Final Four finishes, and two state championships (2021 and 2023).

Young was honored as the 2023 MHSFCA Class 4 Coach of the Year and was part of the NFCA Region 1 Zone Coaching Staff of the Year.

Young has also been a varsity basketball coach for the past 23 years, coaching both boys’ and girls’ teams. He has amassed 385 career wins, including seven MSHSAA district titles, two Final Four appearances, and a state championship in 2011 at Purdy. He was recognized as the Girls Basketball MBCA/Sportswriters 2011 Class 2 Coach of the Year.

Miller Takes Helm for Falcons’ Baseball

August 15, 2024 | Athletics Campus News

East Central College has hired experienced collegiate athlete and accomplished coach Luke Miller as the new head coach of the Falcons baseball team.

Portrait of Luke Miller — **Coach Luke Miller**

Miller is set to bring his extensive expertise and winning record to the program, aiming to elevate the Falcons to new heights.

Miller’s playing career includes stints at St. Louis Community College, Harris-Stowe State University, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he earned a degree in Liberal Arts with a minor in Psychology. A native of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., Miller first made his mark on the high school baseball scene before excelling at the collegiate level.

For the past six years, Miller has served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at St. Charles Community College (SCC), where he specialized in developing hitters and outfielders. His tenure at SCC was marked by significant achievements, including breaking over 20 individual and team offensive records.

The 2024 season, which concluded with a 37-17 record and a Missouri Community College Athletic Conference championship, was one of the best in the college’s history.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Miller has been a prominent figure in the St. Louis area select baseball scene for the past 11 years, most recently with the Adidas Athletics. His head coaching record stands at an impressive 321-90, with a focus on the U-18 Athletics team.

Miller’s influence extends beyond the field, having played a pivotal role in advancing over 300 players to the collegiate level. Notably, more than 100 of these athletes have been recruited to NJCAA Division I programs, and four of his players have been selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

As the Falcons prepare for their fourth season since the program’s reinstatement in 2022, Miller’s strategic approach and recruiting prowess are expected to lead the team to remarkable achievements. ECC is confident that his leadership will usher in a new era of success for the Falcons baseball program.

ECC Defender Named to All-American Team

November 29, 2023 | Athletics Campus News

East Central College soccer player Jules Denommee has been named 3rd Team All-American for the 2023 season by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DII Men’s Soccer committee. Denommee, a freshman defender from Montreal, Canada, was honored on Nov. 28 for this achievement.

ECC Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff stated that Denommee’s exceptional work on the field was recognized by the Region 16 coaches, who voted him 1st Team All-Region and 1st Team All-Conference for his accomplishments and gameplay throughout the 2023 campaign. He was the No. 2 ranked player in the region.

Denommee’s statistical numbers were impressive for a left-back with 7 assists in a position that rarely gets into the offensive attack. He also scored one goal and started 17 of 18 games in the season.

With a team record of 10-6-2, the year was highlighted by good defensive play, and Denommee stood out as the most shutdown defender in NJCAA Region 16, in addition to his offensive prowess. Denommee scored 9 points during the season, took 5 shots, and had a shot percentage of .200. He also secured a game-winning goal this season.

Student Athletes Recognized Within Region 16

May 25, 2023 | Athletics Campus News

Several East Central College student athletes were recognized for their talent within the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 16.

Taylor Hanger, Pacific, a pitcher in her second year at ECC was named to the all-region first team.

Hanger led the Falcons throughout the regular season and into the post season, playing the last 12 games of the season with a slight fracture in her glove hand. She even pitched some of her best games with the injury, according to Dr. Jay Mehrhoff, ECC athletic director.

“It was difficult for her to swing the bat, but the coaches in NJCAA Region 16 noticed her talent and named her first-team all-region,” he said.

Hanger, a nursing major from Pacific High School, was an NJCAA Academic All-American and the ECC Female Scholar Athlete Scholar Athlete her freshman year at ECC.

“Hanger has had a tough balance in her last semester but has managed to be successful in all aspects of being a student athlete at the intercollegiate level,” Mehrhoff added.

She ended the regular season with a 12-8 record striking out 77 batters. Her grit and determination were not always evident as she would be all business when she was in the circle pitching for the Falcons.

Region Player of the Year

ECC Baseball Falcon Shane Kearbey, O’Fallon, Mo., was named the Region Player of the Year by the NJCAA Region 16 DII coaches’ vote. Kearbey, a left-handed pitcher, had a fantastic regular season going 5-1, pitching 61.1 innings and striking out 68 batters with a 2.39 ERA, Mehrhoff said.

Kearbey graduated from ECC May 13 with an Associate of Arts degree in Business. He graduated from Francis Howell High School in 2021.

Rounding out the first team all-region selections for the Falcons were two outfielders, Luciano Terilli, and Trey Orman.

“Terilli gave opposing batters nightmares with his good glove patrolling center field making spectacular plays,” Mehrhoff said. “His at the plate and defensive approach to the game made him an all-around player.

“Orman had his best season in college leading the Falcons in doubles with 12 and hit 4 home runs driving in 24 runs on the year,” he added.

The NJCAA Region 16 DII All-Defense team included Terilli along with Cameron Leach and Andy Hueste. Leach was a formidable outfielder with his glove and led the team with 22 stolen bases.

Hueste was injured early in the season but found his glove and bat heating up at the end of the season with 24 hits and some great plays from second base and shortstop positions.

ECC selections to second-team all-region were Seth Shannon (.341 batting average), DeVon Jennings (5 home runs), Mario Colombo (.316 batting average), Will DesHotels (2-2, 44 strikeouts), Billy Underwood (2.69 ERA), and Hayden Steelman. All six were starters and contributed to the team’s success throughout the season, both at the plate and from the mound.

Coach Tom Dill to be Recognized with Dugout Naming

April 10, 2023 | Athletics Campus News

East Central College is celebrating the college’s first baseball coach, Tom Dill, with the naming of the Taco Bell Field home dugout.

The Tom Dill Dugout naming ceremony will be Saturday, May 6, at Taco Bell Field during the Region 16 Tournament hosted by ECC. The naming ceremony will be held between games at approximately 11:30 a.m. Food and drink will be available.

RSVP to the event here, by emailing the ECC Foundation at foundation@eastcentral.edu or calling 636-584-6506.

Dill was the founding skipper for the East Central Junior College Rebels baseball squad. He coached the baseball team for 16 seasons, from 1974-1990.

Dill coached many talented baseball players during his tenure, including Tom Henke, a Major League Baseball All-Star who played 14 seasons in the Majors and won the World Series in 1992 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Dill also was a faculty member at ECC from 1973 to 2000. He later served two six-year terms on the College’s board of trustees, including several years as board secretary.

If there is inclement weather, the ceremony will be rescheduled for Sunday, May 7.

Benninger Named Men’s and Women’s Soccer Head Coach

August 3, 2022 | Athletics Campus News

Joseph Benninger is taking over as the full-time combined men’s and women’s head soccer coach at East Central College.

He had been serving as an assistant coach under Coach Martin Clayes, who recently took a position to coach professional soccer.

According to ECC Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff, Benninger is ready to take the helm and lead a talented group of young men and women into the 2022 NJCAA fall campaign.

“Benninger has been instrumental in helping build the program at East Central College,” Mehrhoff said. “The women’s program has been a tough climb since the 2020 COVID season, but the roster looks ready to compete this year.

“Benninger’s hopes are to elevate the women’s program to compete for the region title in the same way he feels the men’s program is ready to compete each and every year,” Mehrhoff added.

He further added that Benninger has “a gift” when it comes to recruiting, along with a strong passion for soccer.

Benninger is a native of St. Louis and he played club and high school soccer under the rich traditions in St. Louis. He played high school soccer at De Smet Jesuit High School.

He then attended Truman State University, Kirksville, where he was a member and captain of the Bulldogs volleyball squad, during their most successful run in school history.

Along with his college experience, Benninger has coached and worked in administration in the USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), with the St. Louis Lions. He has also spent time coaching at the youth level.

Benninger has a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Truman State University.

“As the 2022 season approaches, Benninger hopes to fill an entire roster for the women’s team at ECC and build the men’s team into a contender right away,” Mehrhoff said. “Time will be of the essence as Coach Benninger works diligently to complete the 2022 schedule and get the Falcons soaring on the pitch.”

Baseball Program Earns National Academic Award

July 29, 2022 | Athletics Campus News

The American Baseball Coaches Association is recognizing the East Central College baseball program with an ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award.

The award is given to programs from every level of college — from NCAA Division I to Junior College — and high school baseball teams throughout the nation.

The award highlights programs coached by ABCA members that posted a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2021-22 academic year.

“I am proud of the guys and their dedication in the classroom,” said ECC Baseball Coach Johnathon Mills. “A core fundamental of our philosophy is to the careers of our student athletes off the field.”

Over 250 high school programs and more than 420 collegiate programs were recognized with this year’s award. The Team Academic Excellence Award is presented by Sports Attack, which manufactures sports training equipment.

Coaches nominated their teams for the ABCA Award following the conclusion of their spring semesters by the July 14 deadline. To be honored, teams had to meet the following criteria:

Must be a high school or college team
Head coach must be a current ABCA member
Team must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale during the 2021-22 academic year

The American Baseball Coaches Association has a long tradition of recognizing the achievements of baseball coaches and student-athletes.

The ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams are the nation’s oldest, founded in 1949, and the ABCA’s awards program also includes the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Awards, the ABCA/ATEC Regional & National Coaches of the Year and several other major awards such as the ABCA Hall of Fame and the Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award.

ECC Student Athletes Excel in the Classroom

July 15, 2022 | Athletics Campus News

The East Central College Athletic Department continues to excel on the field and in the classroom.

The department boasted the second highest Grade Point Average of teams in the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC). ECC’s all-team GPA was 3.021 for the past academic year.

In addition, the Falcon Baseball, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams all were named All-Academic Teams of the Year with a 3.0 or higher team GPA.

Individually, there were 16 National Junior College Athletic Association Academic All-Americans.
Listed below are the All-American players, followed by the team they are on at ECC and then which All-American team they were named to:

Morgan Green Softball – 2^nd Team Stephen Akot Men’s Soccer – 1^st Team

Taylor Hanger Softball – 1^st Team Julio Gonzalez Men’s Soccer – 3^rd Team

Addie Konkel Softball – 2^nd Team Aidan Ottens Men’s Soccer – 3^rd Team

Madelyn Ruszala Softball – 1^st Team Pierocarlo Previte Men’s Soccer – 3^rd Team

Emma Weston Softball – 3^rd Team Santiago Sanchez Men’s Soccer – 2^nd Team

Shane Kearbey Baseball – 3^rd Team Charley Leonard Women’s Soccer – 3^rd Team

Ethan Lindemann Baseball – 3^rd Team Gabrielle Mattli Women’s Soccer – 3^rd Team

Nathan Turner Baseball – 2^nd Team RaeLeigh Miller Women’s Soccer – 1^st Team

Listed below are the ECC student athletes, followed by the sport they play, named to the Academic All-Region with a minimum 3.25 GPA:

Morgan Green Softball Stephen Akot Men’s Soccer

Taylor Hanger Softball Sam Gentges Men’s Soccer

Hannah Jarvis Softball Julio Gonzalez Men’s Soccer

Addie Konkel Softball Joe McInnes Men’s Soccer

Emma Riegel Softball David Morais Kerejian Men’s Soccer

Madelyn Ruszala Softball Aidan Ottens Men’s Soccer

Nicole Truitt Softball Pierocarlo Previte Men’s Soccer

Emma Weston Softball Santiago Sanchez Men’s Soccer

Logan Baker Baseball Charley Leonard Women’s Soccer

Grant Beck Baseball Rebekah Lewis Women’s Soccer

Tyson Dent Baseball Gabrielle Mattli Women’s Soccer

Houston Henry Baseball RaeLeigh Miller Women’s Soccer

Andy Hueste Baseball Samantha Starling Women’s Soccer

Shane Kearbey Baseball Avery Street Women’s Soccer

Ethan Lindemann Baseball Kayleigh Willman Women’s Soccer

Trey Orman Baseball Isabella Allgeyer Volleyball

Trevor Packan Baseball Trinity Clark Volleyball

Nathan Turner Baseball Olivia Spanley Volleyball

The following ECC student athletes were named to the All-Conference team with at least a 3.0 GPA:

Aubree Eaton Softball Will Sisk Baseball

Morgan Green Softball Nathan Turner Baseball

Taylor Hanger Softball Blake Whitlock Baseball

Hannah Jarvis Softball Stephen Akot Men’s Soccer

Addie Konkel Softball James Baxter Men’s Soccer

Emma Riegel Softball Jacob Buhr Men’s Soccer

Madelyn Ruszala Softball Sam Ennis Men’s Soccer

Nicole Truitt Softball Sam Gentges Men’s Soccer

Emma Weston Softball Julio Gonzalez Men’s Soccer

Logan Baker Baseball Bailey Hoehne Men’s Soccer

Grant Beck Baseball Joe McInnes Men’s Soccer

Levi Betts Baseball David Morais Kerejian Men’s Soccer

Mario Colombo Baseball Aidan Ottens Men’s Soccer

Patrick Dale Baseball Pierocarlo Previte Men’s Soccer

Tyson Dent Baseball Santiago Sanchez Men’s Soccer

Will DesHotels Baseball Andrea Hernandez Women’s Soccer

Josh Gardner Baseball Charley Leonard Women’s Soccer

Houston Henry Baseball Rebekah Lewis Women’s Soccer

Andy Hueste Baseball Gabrielle Mattli Women’s Soccer

Shane Kearbey Baseball RaeLeigh Miller Women’s Soccer

Ethan Lindemann Baseball Sommer Schneider Women’s Soccer

Austin McKim Baseball Samantha Starling Women’s Soccer

Sam Oermann Baseball Avery Street Women’s Soccer

Trey Orman Baseball Kayleigh Willman Women’s Soccer

Trevor Packan Baseball Isabella Allgeyer Volleyball

Jack Reynolds Baseball Makayla Case Volleyball

Justin Rogers Baseball Trinity Clark Volleyball

Tony Schwartz Baseball Macy Morehead Volleyball

Seth Shannon Baseball Olivia Spanley Volleyball

Omir Santos, Former MLB Player, Reflects on ECC Days

February 14, 2022 | Athletics Campus News

In 2001, Omir Santos was the catcher for the last East Central College baseball team to take the field in more than 20 years.

After the 2001 season the ECC baseball field was empty for years to come, but Santos was just beginning his career in professional baseball.

“I was sad when I heard there was no longer baseball at ECC,” said the 40-year-old backstop. “But it is great to hear that baseball is back now.”

In just a few days, a new ECC baseball squad will take the field. The team plays its first game in Harrison, Ark., against North Arkansas College. A home opener at Taco Bell Field had been slated for Feb. 22 at noon, but weather and field conditions could change the date of the first game in Union.

Santos, 40, was recruited in 1999 from his hometown of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, to play baseball at ECC, where he played two seasons.

Santos was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2001 in the 21st round of the MLB draft. He made his way through the minor leagues with the Yankees affiliate club, and then played in the Majors for four different teams.

Santos is one of just two ECC players to play in the Majors. The other player, Tom Henke, was a dominant relief pitcher in the 1980s and 1990s.

Santos moved onto coaching and managing teams after his playing days and in January he was named the manager of the Lynchburg Hillcats, Virginia League Baseball team, an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

Santos said he is looking into coming to the college to watch a game and show his son around ECC.

All-American Player

Santos attended ECC from 1999-2001, and during his freshman season, he was a key piece of the ECC team winning the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) title.

It was the first and only time in school history that the team won the conference title.

In 2000, Santos was named National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-Region.

He also garnered NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors after his sophomore season. He led the ECC team in batting average and runs batted in during his second collegiate season.

Santos was named a NJCAA Division 1, third-team All-American after his sophomore season in 2001.

At ECC

Santos said his time at ECC prepared him for the big leagues, and life in general.

“It was a cool experience,” he commented. “If I ever had to do it again, I would pick ECC — they gave me the opportunity to play baseball and go to school.”

“It was the first time that I left the house,” Santos remembered. “My parents were not there and being on my own It made me grow fast — I was cooking, doing laundry, things I was not prepared for.”

He added that ECC gave him his first experience being independent, but also a strong foundation for baseball at the highest level.

“When I first arrived at ECC, I did not know what to do,” Santos said, “but everyone made me feel comfortable.”

He was one of nine ballplayers from Puerto Rico, and there were many more international students attending the college.

“I had the opportunity to meet people from different places and cultures who were all going to school — and I got together with other students who also were far from home, so I was not alone.”

Santos still talks with teammates via social media.

“We keep in touch through Facebook and Instagram messages,” he said. “We don’t talk every day but I still talk with some of the guys.”

Baseball Career

Santos played at the Major League level with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians (now called the Guardians). He made his Major League debut Sept. 5, 2008, with the Baltimore Orioles.

He had a long professional career, 122 major league appearances where he totaled 80 hits, 41 RBI and 7 home runs. Santos was named to the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team in 2009 with the Mets.

Prior to taking the head spot with the Hillcats, Santos worked as the Akron Rubber Ducks bench coach, which also is a Cleveland Guardians affiliate. He resides with his wife Gelitza and two children in Kissimmee, Fla.

Santos owns and runs the Triple Crown Sports Academy, a baseball training facility and travel baseball organization.